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May 9: Dann's ethics form for Washington trip missing
His office says a Cincinnati law firm has yet to bill the state for the June trip
COLUMBUS -- "...Dann's last financial disclosure statement is missing a trip from June when, as attorney general, he flew to Washington, D.C., on a private jet owned by Cincinnati attorney Stan Chesley for an overnight trip to deal with a securities case... Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action, a good government watchdog group, says you can't wait years to disclose a freebie from a government contractor. 'We need to know how state contractors are trying to influence the process. They can do that with campaign contributions or gifts or services to the officeholders,' Turcer said. 'The way we addressed that in Ohio is we say you can accept that but it must be disclosed and fairly soon. Disclosure only works if we know about it fairly soon. You can't wait years.'
Ethics Commission Director David Freel declined to comment on the matter,'" Laura Bischoff, Dayton Daily News.
COLUMBUS -- Dann's campaign fund to undergo routine audit, Laura Bischoff, Dayton Daily News. Published May 8.
May 8: Why Judicial Independence Matters
COLUMBUS -- "Judicial independence means that judges are free to decide cases fairly and impartially, relying only on the facts and the law. It means that judges are protected from political pressure, legislative pressure, special interest pressure, media pressure, public pressure, financial pressure, or even personal pressure. Judicial independence goes back to the U.S. Constitution. Our country’s founders, and each state’s founders, worked to protect courts from undue pressure. They knew that it takes fair and impartial decisions to protect our rights—and uphold the rule of law. More than 200 years later, judicial independence is still an important issue. Indeed, the threat to fair and impartial courts—and judicial independence—is growing," press release, Justice at Stake.
Full text of study
COLUMBUS -- Public comment on Code of Judicial conduct, Catherine Turcer, Director of Ohio Citizen Action's Money in Politics Project. May 1, 2008.
May 8: 3 counties in a spot over voting machines
Brunner has second thoughts on testing systems
COLUMBUS -- "Based on concerns expressed by Gov. Ted Strickland and others, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is re-examining a proposal to enable Ohio to test and approve new voting systems that have not been federally certified. That leaves Cuyahoga County, the state's most populous, and two others with a decision: They must buy older equipment for the Nov. 4 election, ask the legislature to allow them to use the equipment they have now or find another option. The state Board of Voting Machine Examiners voted 2-1 last week to pursue a plan to change an Ohio rule requiring that any voting device approved for use in the state also must have federal certification," Mark Niquette, Columbus Dispatch.
May 7: Lacking IDs, nuns denied ballots
SOUTH BEND, IN -- "About 12 Indiana nuns were turned away yesterday from a polling place by a fellow sister because they didn't have state or federal identification bearing a photograph. Sister Julie McGuire said she was forced to turn away her fellow members of Saint Mary's Convent in South Bend, across the street from the University of Notre Dame, because they had been told that they would need such an ID to vote. The nuns, all in their 80s or 90s, didn't get one but came to the precinct anyway... Some showed up with outdated passports. None of them drives. They weren't given provisional ballots because it would be impossible to get them to a motor-vehicle branch and back within the 10 days allotted by the law, Sister McGuire said. 'You have to remember that some of these ladies don't walk well. They're in wheelchairs or on walkers or electric carts,'" Deborah Hastings, Columbus Dispatch.
May 7: Editorial: At least court sees through voter ID laws
DAYTON -- "The U.S. Supreme Court has discredited the new voter-identification laws, but has, nevertheless, blessed them as constitutional. These laws, passed in Ohio and elsewhere by Republican state legislators, require some sort of identification to be presented at the polling place. In the past, Ohio had settled for taking a voter's signature and comparing it to the one he or she gave when registering. The new laws can only guard against one kind of abuse: the impersonation of a specific registered voter. That's important to understand...The voter ID movement isn't about registrars or registration, and it isn't about illegal aliens. (If you were an illegal alien, would you try to vote?) As for the alleged problem the new laws are about, opponents have been saying all along that it doesn't exist," Dayton Daily News. Published Tuesday, May 6.
TOLEDO -- Editorial:
Solution without a problem, Toledo Blade. Published Monday, May 5.
May 7: Audit: Election Day tally adds up
CLEVELAND -- "A hand-count audit of a sample of presidential primary votes in Ohio's largest county matches the results delivered by a machine that scanned the same paper ballots, an official said.
Pat McDonald, deputy director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, said the audit reviewed 7 percent of ballots cast during the March 4 election, including 30,814 paper ballots from 99 precincts. They were hand-counted by Republicans and Democrats last week. The count was compared to a fresh scan of the same ballots and finished Friday. Yesterday, the county's staff was comparing the outcome to tallies arrived at on March 4," Associated Press, Toledo Blade. Article published Tuesday, May 6.
May 6: Editorial: Keep law as it is
New voting equipment for Ohio counties should have a federal seal of approval
 COLUMBUS -- "Perception and reality concerning Ohio's elections are starkly different. Since the overcrowded 2004 presidential vote, the perception held by some people is that voting in Ohio is either flawed or corrupt.
The reality is quite the contrary, but the perception is why Ohio counties would be ill-advised to buy new voting equipment before it's federally certified. Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, the first Democrat in that office in 16 years, wants a change in law to allow purchasing equipment not yet certified by federal officials. Gov. Ted Strickland and the General Assembly should resist that," editorial, Columbus Dispatch.
May 5: Dann draws more outrage
Watchdog group voices ire over his use of a state plane; a state rep calls for a perjury inquiry
 COLUMBUS -- "At his press conference Friday, May 2, in which he admitted to an affair with a staffer and said he was unprepared for the office he was elected to, Attorney General Marc Dann promised to work tirelessly to repair the public's trust.
But a short time after the press conference, he flew on the state plane to Cleveland to meet with the Plain Dealer to try to salvage his public image. 'He did what? It's just like he has one bad rookie mistake after another,' said Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action, a good government watchdog group. 'It's important to do your mea culpas but using the state resources to do them just backfires,'" Laura Bischoff and William Hershey, Dayton Daily News. Published May 4.
May 5: Power lobbying no victory for utilities
 CLEVELAND -- "'I don't blame the utilities and I don't blame the legislators because they need to get their own messages out at the end of the day,' said Catherine Turcer, campaign finance analyst for Ohio Citizen Action, a pro-consumer group that has often criticized FirstEnergy.
'It is an incredible amount of money, though, when you thinking about what the average Ohioan makes and the kind of day-to-day struggle many are having,'" John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Published May 1.
May 5: Brunner seeks to speed up approval
COLUMBUS -- "Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner wants to eliminate a requirement that Ohio use only federally tested and approved voting systems, a move that would allow counties to buy new equipment certified only by the state as soon as the Nov. 4 election if they want.
The state would do its own testing, paid for by voting-machine vendors, using federally certified labs and new state standards that will exceed federal guidelines for accuracy, security and reliability, Brunner said,'" Mark Niquette, Columbus Dispatch, Published May 3.
May 5: High school seniors working as precinct officers
Testimony in support of House Bill 350
COLUMBUS -- "Working at the polls allowed us to see what members of our community actually voted. We were extremely disheartened at the low turnout of young voters. All in all, we saw very few voters under the age of 22. We believe this low turnout is due to the incredibly busy schedule college and high school students maintain.
Many times, high school students feel intimidated by the voting process including not knowing where to vote, how to register, or how to vote. If high school students are allowed to work at the polls, they will be experienced and feel less ignorant of the voting
process. Allowing more young people to work at the polls will promote a better voter turnout for younger voters in future elections," Megan Adams and Katie Cole, Upper Arlington High School. 36 KB doc.
House Bill 350, Ohio General Assembly.
Testimony on House Bill 350, Jeff Cabot, Kids Voting Central Ohio. 54 KB doc.
Testimony on House Bill 350, Matthew Damschroder, Deputy Director of the Franklin County Board of Elections. 27 KB doc.
May 5: Young voters, new outlook
An emerging generation is more politically connected than ever
 BLOOMINGTON, IN -- "Morley Winograd had never met Meera Joguni, but he described her well.
'If you were looking for a stereotypical millennial in Indiana, you'd probably want to interview a female college student who is nonwhite or at least has a mixed racial or ethnic background,' advised Winograd, co-author of the groundbreaking book, Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, & the Future of American Politics.
And, he continued, she would have at least one immigrant parent, be more liberal and tolerant than older generations, be very serious about working with others to solve problems, and be optimistic about the nation's future and her own.
One more thing, Winograd said: You'd likely find her at a Sen. Barack Obama presidential campaign rally," Joe Hallett, Columbus Dispatch. Published May 4.
May
2: Ohio
Citizen Action comments on the proposed Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct:
disqualifying judges for conflicts of interest
COLUMBUS -- "At minimum, a rule should be established that triggers
disqualification after receipt of a large aggregate contribution, not
just from a single donor, but collectively from all donors associated
with a party to litigation or with counsel. An example of aggregate
contributions that could trigger disqualification would be
contributions from corporate officers, management-level employees and
law firm partners," Catherine Turcer, Director, Money
in Politics Project,
Ohio Citizen Action,
letter to Judge Thomas Bryant, Chair, Task Force on the
Code of Judicial Conduct,
Supreme Court of Ohio, May 1, 2008, 30 KB doc.
May
1: Redistricting
bill "does not accomplish the goals that the sponsor
established in his testimony:
partisan balance and increased competition"
COLUMBUS
-- "One of the reasons that Issue 4 failed [in 2005] was that it was
confusing and I appreciate SJR 6’s simplicity. However, it does not
accomplish the goals that the sponsor established in his testimony:
partisan balance and increased competition. With an odd number of
commissioners, each with a partisan affiliation, the process is
designed to allow one party a majority on the commission.
Unfortunately, the five-vote supermajority does not completely mitigate
this problem. If the Governor, the Secretary of State and the State
Auditor were all members of the same party that party could control the
redistricting process absolutely," Catherine Turcer, Director, Money
in Politics Project,
Ohio Citizen Action,
testimony, Senate Joint Resolution 6, before the Ohio Senate State and
Local
Government
and Veterans Affairs Committee, April 30, 2008, 29 KB doc.
COLUMBUS --
League of Women Voters
Testimony,
Senate Joint Resolution 6, Ohio Senate State and Local Government and
Veterans Affairs Committee, Ann Henkener, April 30, 2008, 56 KB doc.
COLUMBUS --
Sponsor Testimony,
Senate Joint Resolution 6, Ohio Senate State and Local Government and
Veterans Affairs Committee, Senator Gary Cates (West Chester), April
15, 2008, 29 KB doc.
COLUMBUS -- Ohio
Senate Joint Resolution 6, full text.
NEW YORK, NY -- Analysis
of Ohio
Redistricting Reform Proposals, Justin Levitt, Brennan
Center for Justice, April 28, 2008, 70 KB pdf.
Apr
29: Indiana
can demand photo ID from voters
High
court upholds law; no effect on Ohio, Brunner says
WASHINGTON,
DC -- "Indiana's law requiring voters to show photo identification is
constitutional, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday in a 6-3 vote
that won't immediately affect Ohio elections.
Ohio's voter ID law does not require a photo.
The Ohio requirement calls for an accepted form of ID to be brought to
the polling place, ranging from a photo ID such as a driver's license
to documents such as a bank statement or utility bill.
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner had joined chief elections
officials in four other states who filed a brief opposing Indiana's
photo requirement. The high court's ruling won't change things in Ohio,
she said yesterday," Jonathan Riskind, Columbus Dispatch.
WASHINGTON,
DC -- In
a 6-to-3 vote, justices uphold a voter ID law,
Linda Greenhouse, New York Times.
WASHINGTON,
DC -- Analysis:
Voter ID ruling widens partisan divide,
Richard Wolf and Joan Biskupic, USA Today.
Apr
29: Ohio
attorney general employs liaison Craig Mehall in capital
WASHINGTON,
DC -- "(Marc) Dann's grants manager, Ruth Wilkes, brand new on the job,
says she tried but was unable to get a next-day flight. Her fiance then
offered to fly her in his private plane, a Malibu Mirage. Harshman did
not charge for the Washington trip last June 29, when he flew Wilkes to
suburban Manassas, Va. Mehall drove out to meet the plane and met the
deadline. The flight appears to have benefited Ohio's taxpayers, since
a last-minute commercial flight could have cost more than $1,000,
depending on the airline. But the arrangement may have resulted in a
violation of state ethics rules
," Stephen Koff, Openers, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Published
April 27.
Apr
28: Don't
worry: Turcer's still talking
 COLUMBUS
-- "Ohio Citizen Action's Catherine Turcer
fears some may have gotten the wrong impression from the earlier
blog about her not speaking out on some issues.
Turcer declined to comment last week as she often does when the area
his outside her expertise of state government, open records, campaign
finance and the like -- issues integral to Citizen Action's core
mission. The group's director of the Money in Politics Project, Turcer
says there are many other experts to talk about local government or
higher education issues, for instance.
But that certainly doesn't mean one of Ohio's few remaining watchdogs
is being muzzled," The Daily Briefing,
Columbus Dispatch.
Apr
28: Supreme
Court upholds photo ID law for voters in Indiana
WASHINGTON,
DC -- "The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can require voters to
produce photo identification without violating their constitutional
rights, validating Republican-inspired voter ID laws.
In a splintered 6-3 ruling, the court upheld Indiana's strict photo ID
requirement, which Democrats and civil rights groups said would deter
poor, older and minority voters from casting ballots. Its backers said
it was needed to deter fraud.
It was the most important voting rights case since the Bush v. Gore
dispute that sealed the 2000 election for George W. Bush," Associated
Press.
WASHINGTON,
DC -- Top
court upholds photo ID voting law, James
Vicini, Reuters.
Ohio's
voter ID law, Jennifer Brunner, Ohio Secretary
of State.
The
Supreme Court's decision, Election
Law @ Moritz. 
Apr
25:
Cuyahoga County to audit March 4 presidential primary
CLEVELAND
-- "The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections will conduct an audit of the
March 4 presidential primary beginning Tuesday.
Teams represented by members of the Republican and Democratic parties
will hand count 7 percent of the ballots. Precincts will be randomly
selected.
After the weeklong process is complete, the totals will be compared
with results from high-speed scanners used to tabulate the election.
The public will be permitted to view the audit at the board warehouse,"
Akron Beacon Journal.
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